Operating device for waste plugs



May 29, 1928. 1,671,202

' E. F. NM-:DECKEN OPERATING DEVICE FOR WASTE PLUGS Filed April 8, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet vl NVENTOR MW May 29, 1928. 1,671,202

E. F. NIEDECKEN A OPERATING DEVICE FOR WASTE PLUGS Filed April 8, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 BY v @any MMA; QM W 20L-w i ATTORNEY Patented May 29, 1928,

Unirse STATES EDWARD F. NIEDECKEN, OF

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIG-NOR T0 HOFFMAN &

BILLINGS MFG. CO., OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

OPERATING DEVICE FORVWASTE PLUGS.

Application filed April 8,

This invention relates to a waste plug operating device especially designed for use with built in bath tubs or the like, although also adapted for other uses.

The object of the invention is to provide an operating device of this character which is so compactly organized as to permit of the use of a simplified pipe arrangement, the waste operating mechanism, by virtue of the small space which itfoccupies, providing the clearance and space necessary for the pipes of the simplified piping arrangement.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a waste operating device of this character which is positively stopped and maintained in either of its two positions and yet is easy and smooth in operation.

Another object is to provide a waste operating device having these advantages and capacities and which is simple and durable in construction, reliable in operation, adjustable and adaptable to various installations, and easy and comparatively inex pensive to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages reside in certain novel features of the construction, arrangement and combination of parts which will be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view of an installation employing a waste operating device embodying the present invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view in rear elevation of the installation shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view of line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure l is a view partlyv in elevation and partly in section taken on line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a sectional view 6-6 of Figure 4.

Figure 7 is a detail view in the crank arm and its pin; and

Figure 8` is a detail view in elevation of the guide.

Referring to the dra-Wings, the numeral 1 designates the studding of the building taken on line elevation of 1927. vSerial No. 181,912.

structure and the numeral 2 the plaster or tiling thereof. In accordance with the usual practice a steel plate 3 is fastened as at 4 to the studding, the steel plate serving as a support for the waste operating device and. the valves.

InL the usual built-in tub installation a hot water valve 5 and a cold water valve 6 are provided, the valves 5 and 6 bein-g embodied in the hot water pipey 7 and cold water pipe 8 respectively. 1n between the valves 5 and 6 the waste operating device designated generally at 9 is provided. Due to theinterpositioning of this waste operating device 9 the problem of conveying the hot and cold water to the faucet 10 has been the occasion of some difficulty and annoyance. The simplest method is to providea cross pipe 11 between the outlets of the hot and cold water valves and connect this crossr pipe 11 with a single pipe 12 leading to the faucet 10. In all previous installationsthe waste operating device S .occupied so muc-h space that it was necessary to curve this pipe 11 above and around the waste operating device in orderk to clear thesame. The curving of the pipe is expensive and difficult and in some installations two pipes have been employed for each of the pipes 11 and 12 `to avoid the expense and annoyance lofl providing a curved pipe although this resulted in a complicated piping system, undesirable for a number of reasons.V

As clearly shown in Figures l and 2 of applieants invention, a `single ordinary straight pipe 11 need be employed as the waste operating device is so compact as to permit this to be done. 1

The waste operatingV device 9 comprises a rotatable or oscillatable shaft 15 mounted in a bushing 16. The bushing 16 has a shoulder 17 adjacent one end and abutting the steel supporting bar 3, and beyond the shoulder 17 the bushing 16 is externally threaded as at 18 and passes through an opening 3 provided vin the supporting-plate 3. The threaded portion 18 of the bushing is engaged with a threaded opening formed in a guide bar 19 having a lug 20 engaged beneath the lower edge of thev supporting plate 3. By threading the bushing into the threaded opening of the guide bar, the guide bar and .flange 17 of the bushing clamp the supporting plate 3 between them and, as a result, both the bushing and the guide bar are held in fixed position on the supporting plate.

The bushing 16 also serves as a support for an escutcheon 21 `which is clamped in position by means of the flanged cap 22 connected to the bushing 16 by coupling sleeve 23.`

At its outer end the shaft 15is provided with a knob or handle 24 whereby it may be turned or oscillated. This shaft 15 is free to turn or oseillate but it is held against axial `displacement by means `of a pin 25 which passes through an opening 26 provided therefor in the bushing 16 and which has a portion positioned in an annular groove 27 formed in the shaft 15 as clearly illustrated in Figures 4 and 5.

The inner end of the shaft 15 is formed with reduced extensions 28 and 29 which project beyond thebushing 16. A crank arm 30 is .fixed on the reduced extension 28 of the 'shaft 15 and at its outer end it is formed with a rearwardly projecting crank pin 31 which operates in a cross slot of y a slotted head 33 integrally formed with the upper end of a lift bar 34. This head 33 also has a vertical guide slot 35 which eX- tends downwardly from the cross slot 32 at a point adjacent but spaced from one end ofthe cross slot 32. The guide slot 35 receives thereduced extension `29 of the shaft 15, the reduced extension 29 coacting with the slot 35 to aid in constraining the lift bar 34 to vertical movement. A Washer l 36 and pin 37 are' employed to prevent displacement of the slotted head 33 off ofthe reduced extension 29. The lift bar 34 extends down through an apertured guide lug 38 integrally formed with the lower end of the guide bar 19. After assembly the lift bar is bent to provide a horizontally extending connecting portion 39. On this portion 39 an eye 40 of a connecting socket 41 is loosely fitted, the eye 40 permitting' the socket 41 to be adjusted back and forth on the bar 39 as may be necessary for the particular installation, a pin 42 preventing displacement of the socket 41` entirely oft' of the connecting-portion 39 of the lift bar. A connecting rod 43 has its upper end threaded into the socket 41, a nut 44 locking the connecting rod 43 in its adjusted position in the socket 41. This connecting rod 43 eX- tends down through a stand pipe 44 and at its lower end i-s connected in any suitable manner to the Waste plug (not shown). The stand pipe is held in position by a brace 45 having a clamping portion 46 encircling the stand pipe 44 and clamped thereto by a clamping bolt and nut 47. This brace 45 has an arm 48 which passes through slots 49 provided therefor ina U -shaped clamp 50. The clamp 50 embraces the pipe 7 and is j crankpin 31 to the left, as viewed in Figure 2, the slotted head 33 and consequently the lift bar 34 and connecting rod 43 'and the waste plug are lowered to permit the waste plug to close the waste outlet of the bath tub. When the waste plugy is in proper position the pin 31 engages the end wall 32L of the slot 32, this end wall affording a positive stop of the parts. To raise the waste plug and permit the water to discharge through the drain opening ofthe bath tub the shaft 15 is turned to swing the crank pin 31 to the right as viewed in Figure 2. This raises the slotted head 33, the lift bar 34 and the connecting rod 43 `and when the crank pin 31 has been swung as far as it may be it engages the end wall 32h `of the slot 33, the end wall 32b also serving as a positive stop for the parts-and maintaining the drain plug in open position.

In both positions of the crank pin 31 it is past dead center and so related to the dead .center position that the weight ofthe slotted head, of the lift bar Vand of the connecting rod, et cetera, tends to maintain itr infits adjustment. i

It is to be noted that the pin 31.` engages the upper wall of the cross slot 32 and thus coaets with the upper cross member 33c of the slotted head 32- wheu raising. the head 33 and connected'parts and that it acts in a similar manner though n'ioving in an opposite `direction when controlling lowering movement. ,Howeveig by l'iavin'g the end walls 32n and 32b of the end members 33d and 33e engageable with the crank pin 31 in its extreme positions, the head has self contained positive stops. The head 33 is offset `more on one side than `the other .from the vertical axis of the lift bar 34- (which vertical axis intersects the center line Vproduced of the shaft 15) and the arrangement such that the crank pin 31 swings through a quarter of a turn, that is from a position just beyond the vertical or dead center position tof a position just above ahorizont-al position, the extent of the slot 32 being such in relation to the radius of swing of the crank pin that the crank pin has binding engagement with the end `walls of the slot in either eXtreme position.

With these features of smooth and easy operation and positive stopping in either eXtreme position there is present the further advantage of the compact organization which permits the use ofl the kordinary straight cross pipe ll. Moreover, the parts may be cast and utilized without machining operations.l Finally, the device i-s adjustable in an easy and effective manner whereby to permit it to be used with any installation. f

The compact organization which permits the use of the straight cross pipe is made possible by virtue of the flat structure of the lifting bar and its lift head and also of the guide and crank arm. Notwithstanding this fiat construction and the relatively slight` depth of the assembly, that is, the relatively slight extent of the assembly, in the direction of the axis of the shaft 15, an extremely strong and durable construction is had and the organization is such that it is not liable to get out of order.

The invention claimed is:

1. An operating device for waste plugs comprising a swingable actuating element, a vertically movable lift bar biased to its lower position and having a cross member beneath which the swingable actuating element engages to effect lifting and to control lowering of the lift bar, and stops at the ends of the cross member and located at different distances from the axis of swing to constrain said swingable actuating element to back and forth swinging movement through ,substantially a quarter turn and serving` to positively stop and releasably hold the swingable actuating element in either of its extreme positions under the influence of the bias of the lift bar.

i2. An operating device for waste plugs and the like comprising a swingable actuating element, a vertically movable lift bar biased to its lower position and having a cross member beneath which the swingable actuating element engages to effect lifting and lowering of the lift bar, said cross member having end members engaging the actu.- ating' elenrent under the influence of the bias of the lift bar to afford positive stops for the swingable actuating element in either of its extreme positions.

3. An operating device for waste plugs and the like comprising a swingable actuating element, a vertically movable lift bar having across member beneath which the swingable actuating elementv engages to effect lifting and to control lowering of the lift bar, and means for positively stopping the swingable actuating element in either of its extreme positions.

4. An operating device for waste plugs comprising a shaft, a crank fixed to the shaft and having a crank pin, a vertically movable lift bar biased to its lower position and having a head formed with a cross slot extending` unequal distances beyond the vertical center line of the lift bar and receiving the pin, the ends of the cross slot providing positive stops for the pin' to limit thel up and down'movements of the lift bar device and means connected with the lift bar and adapted to be connected with the waste plug.

5. An operating device for waste plugs comprising an oscillating shaft, a hand actuated operating member lixed to said sha-ft, a crank arm also fixed to the shaft, a crank pin carried by the crank arm, a vertically movable lift bar biased to its lower position and having a head provided with a cross slot receiving the crank pin, the crank pin engaging the upper wall of the cross slot to effect raising of the lift bar and to control the lowering thereof, the end portions of the walls of said cross slot being positioned to engage the crank pin to provide positive stops, means for constraining the lift bar to rectilinear vertical movement, and means connected to the lift bar and adapted to be connected to a waste pluOf.

G. An operating device for waste plugs comprising acrank pin, aI vertically movable lift bar biased to its lower position and having a head provided with a cross slot receiving said crank pin, said cross slot having portions of its wall presenting stops to limit movement of the crank pin in either direction, the crank pin being beyond dead center position when engaged with either stop and being releasably held engaged with either stop by virtue of the bias of the lift bar.

7. An operating device for waste plugs comprising a hand oscillated shaft, a vertically movable lift bar, cooperating means between the shaft and the lift bar for raising and lowering the lift bar as the shaft is turned back and forth, said lift bar having a horizontally extending portion, and a connecting member loosely mounted on said horizontally extended portion for free adjustment therealong and adapted to be connected to a waste plug.

8. An operating device for waste plugs of the type having an oscillating shaft and a lift bar actuated from the shaft and including a supporting member provided with an opening, a bearing for the shaft having a threaded portion projecting through the opening and having a flange engaging the supported member around the opening, and a guide for the lift bar engaged with the threaded portion of the bearing and with the supporting member and also having a lug engaging the supporting member.

9. An operating device for waste plugs comprising a hand operated oscillatory shaft, al crank fixed to the shaft and having a crank pin, a vertically movable lift bar biased to lits lower position and having a head formed with a cross slot extending for a substantial distance beyond one side of the vertical center line of the lift bar and extending only slightly beyond the other side tl U parts in either extreme position and Ineens connected with the lift bar and adapted to be connected with the waste plug. y n

In witness whereof, I heretoe-fiix my signature. v i 4 f EDWARD F. NiEDECKEN. 

